Capsize recovery apparatus

ABSTRACT

A canoe capsize recovery apparatus that is attachable to the thwart of a canoe that can be deployed after the canoe has capsized by the occupants. The apparatus comprises a sliding frame member for sliding from a stored position to a deployed position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/653,29 by the same inventor filed in the USPTO on Mar. 25, 2012.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to watercraft in class 114 and particularly watercraft with capsize recovery apparatus in subclass 39.

FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP

N/A

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the context of canoeing there is a requirement for an apparatus to assist the occupants of a capsized canoe to right the canoe so that the occupants can climb back into the canoe. To the best of my knowledge there is no such apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of the hull of a canoe with the invention attached.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the hull of a canoe with the invention attached.

FIG. 3 is a view of one embodiment of the attachment frame of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a view of yet another embodiment of the attachment frame of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view of a cross-section of the attachment frame of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a view the attachment frame attached to a canoe.

FIG. 9 is a sequence of drawings showing use of the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown one embodiment of the invention which is a canoe capsize recovery apparatus. The figures show the hull of a canoe 12 in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 1 and a top view in FIG. 2. The canoe has a left side gunnel 14 and a right side gunnel 16 a front seating apparatus 18 and a rear seating apparatus 20, a yoke 22 and a thwart 24.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the apparatus of the invention comprises frame member 30 attached to the thwart 24 and a floatation member 32 attached to the floatation member. The invention may also include an optional floatation aid 34 such as an air inflatable bag attached temporarily to the distal end 36 of the floatation member 32.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a drawing of one embodiment of the frame member 50. The frame member is in sliding attachment with the thwart 24 from a storage position to a deployed position as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The frame member has a top side 52 having a concave surface 54 and a bottom side 56 having a concave surface 58. The floatation member 32 in FIG. 2 attaches to the top side using a first temporary attachment means comprising two buckles 60 and 62. The frame member 50 attaches to the thwart using two more buckles 64 and 66 which are disposed inside of buckles 60 and 62 respectively.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is a side view of the frame member 50 attached to the thwart 24 and attaching a floatation member 32. Top buckles 60 and 62 are shown attaching the floatation member 32 to the frame member 50 and buckles 64 and 66 are shown attaching the frame member 50 to the thwart 24.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a top view of the frame member 50 and FIG. 6 shows a side view of the frame member. The top side 52 has a concave surface 54 and the bottom side 56 has a concave surface 58. The attachment buckles 62 to 66 are drawn tight over the rounded surfaces 70 and 72 on the left side and 76 and 78 the right side.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the frame member 80 in cross-section.

FIG. 8 shows an assembled diagram of the apparatus.

FIG. 9 shows a sequence of steps in using the apparatus. 

We claim:
 1. A canoe capsize recovery apparatus comprising: a frame member for sliding attachment of said apparatus to a thwart, said frame member having a top side having a concave surface and a bottom side having a concave surface, a floatation member for attachment to said top side, first temporary attachment means for attaching the frame member to said thwart, a second temporary attachment means for attaching the floatation member to the frame member.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bottom side concave surface is disposed upon a top surface of said thwart.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the top side concave surface accepts the shaft of said floatation member.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said floatation member is a paddle.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the floatation member further includes a floatation aid disposed adjacent the distal end thereof.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said floatation aid is an air-inflatable floatation bag.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 having a first storage configuration and a second deployed configuration.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein when in said first storage configuration the frame member is disposed on the thwart adjacent to a gunnel opposite a deployment gunnel and the floatation member is disposed on a top side of the thwart.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein when in said deployed configuration the frame member is disposed adjacent said deployment gunnel and the floatation member is extended a full length from the deployment gunnel so that the distal end floatation aid is in the water thereby applying a buoyancy torque to the canoe.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said first temporary attachment means comprises a first buckle and a second buckle depending below the bottom side concave surface for attachment to the thwart.
 11. The apparatus of 10 wherein said second temporary attachment means comprises a third buckle and a fourth buckle disposed upwards from the top side concave surface for attachment of the floatation member to the frame member. 